Device for feeding material into work performing machines

ABSTRACT

A device used for presses, shears, punching equipment and the like having a central shaft, radially actuated pistons, and two bilateral portions for distributing the drive fluid of the central shaft and for locking the shaft in work sequence, the first bilateral portion for fluid distribution having a rotary body with two ducts for input and output of pressurized fluid and for actuating said pistons, the second bilateral portion having stoppage means for locking the shaft.

1 1 Sept. 30, 1975 United States Patent Spiantini et al.

Lungerhauscn.....................

85 NXI Bnoooo Z/Woo 1 l Versoy Md 6733 5677 9999 HHHH 56 9 009 4 063-) 4 347.6 43- 5 33 Monfalcone l2/B; Giacomo Bardoni, Via Brcnta 3, both of Milan, Italy Primary E.\'aminerMartin P. Schwadron Assistant E.\'aminerH. Burks, Sr.

22 Filed; Oct, 1 1973 Attorney, Agent, or FirmRichards & Geier 21 Appl. No.: 407,651

ABSTRACT A device usedifor presses, shears, punching equipment and the like having a central shaft, radially actuated pistons, and two bilateral portions for distributing the 77- 48 8 900 5 U7 W 9- 9 MR o 2 9 C s U 2 5 {51] Int. B23D 1/08 drive fluid of the central shaft and for locking the shaft in work sequence, the first bilateral portion for fluid distribution having a rotary body with two ducts [58] Field of Search 60/537, 539,541; 192/3 R;

for input and output of pressurized fluid and for actuating said pistons, the second bilateral portion having stoppage means for locking the shaft.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4 Claims. 4 Drawing Figures U.S. Patent Sept. 30,1975 Sheet 1 of 2 3,908,51 1

FIG. 2

U.S. Patent Sept. 30,1975 Sheet 2 of 2 3,908,511

DEVICE FOR FEEDING MATERIAL INTO woRK PERFORMING MACHINES This invention relates to a device to be'used with a work-performing machine so as to bring about the feeding of material with programmed stops in accordance with the type of work to be performed.

In presses, shears, and other similar machines, the advance of the strip or of the tape to be processed is presently performed by means of mechanisms operating with a hinged lever or a pickup and material transport grip. Besides other operational drawbacks, this machinery does not permit arapid and calibrated adjustment of the feed of the material to be processed,

An object of the present invention is to provide a feeding device capable of working with precision and at a high output rate in any required work, assuring.

tribution of the pressurized fluid for the direct drive of said central shaft and for the locking of same in the per formance sequence of the machine, one of said lateral parts, namely that for the distribution of the pressurized fluid for the direct drive of the said pistons, comprises a rotary body with a central shaft and two conduits respectively for the input and the output of the pressurized fluid originating from the outside,joined by two hollow connection sectors with the cylinders for the sliding of the radial pistons of the central part, whereas the other lateral part of the device is provided with stoppage means capable of instantaneous locking of the central shaft in a predetermined work program of the machine, constituted by two half-rings acting simultaneously against profiled bodies or blocks surrounding the shaft itself,

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings showing by way of example only, a preferred embodiment of the inventive idea.

In the drawings:

FIG. I shows a partially cut away device in accordance with the present invention, viewed from the top.

FIG. 2 represents the same device drawn on a different scale along the sectional plane 2 2.

FIG. 3 is a section along line 3 3 of FIG. 1, on a different scale.

FIG. 4 is a section along line 4 4 of FIG. 1.

With reference to FIG. 1, the device of the present invention comprises a median part A and two bilateral parts B and C respectively for distribution of the actu ating medium of the central shaft and for the locking of said shaft in the programming sequence. The central shaft has the form of two half-shafts 6A and 6B coaxially joined through torsional linkage by means of the pin 50.

As known, the median part A suitably connected to the other parts B and C to work jointly therewith comprises as shown in greater detail in FIG. 2 two pairs of pistons 2 sliding in diametrically opposite direction in cylinders 3 for the accommodating of the pressurized fluid: I

The lateral part B of this device is designes to distribute to the median part A the compressed fluid coming from the outside by passing through the central input pipe designated in FIGS. 1 and 3 by the reference 51 and which is being discharged during the operating phases via the outlet duct 52; obviously these ducts can be arranged in a manner different from that shown in the drawings. r

In the lateral part B there is revolvingly arranged a rotary fluid distribution body 53 (FIG. 3) provided with hollow sectors 54 and 55 connecting in the respective operating phases the input and output pipes 51 52 with the ducts 56, 57, 58, and 59 for the supply of the sliding cylinders 3 of thepistons 2. The pistons 2 are connected to the device-actuating half shafts 6A and 6B by means of the eccentrically arranged connecting rods 4 so as to bring about a uniform and smooth rotation of said shaft.

When the device is in the illustrated position, it is apparent that the pressurized'fluid originating from the input pipe 51 will be carried into the left-hand cylinder 3 as shown in FIG. 3 by traversing the duct 61, the ho]- low sector 54 and the duct 56, while the discharge fluid originating from the passive cylinders is returned to the outside through the ducts 57-58-59, the sector 55 shared by these duets, the discharge pipe 62 and from there through the outlet pipe 52. The length of the hollow sectors 54 and 55 and the shift'in' the ducts will be such as to maintain progressively, in the continuous rotation of the central shaft 6A-6B, one or more pistons in active position.

The lateral locking part C of the half-shaft 6B to be joined to the machine comprises, as shown in FIG. 4, two half-rings 63 concentrically arranged on said halfshaft. These two half-rings terminate in two radial protuberances having a sloped plane 64 placed inside the cavities 65, likewise having sloped planes and forming a part of two bell-shaped pistons 66 sliding inside corresponding cylinders 67 each one of which is provided with an inlet pipe 68 for the pressurized fluid originating from the outside under the control of suitable means. Suitable springs 69 maintain the half-rings 63 spaced apart, while other springs 70 maintain the bellshaped pistons 66 spaced from the radial protuberances 64 of the half-rings when said portion C must be excluded from the operation of the device so as to permit the central shafts 6A-6B to rotate freely as described above.

A series of profiled blocks or bodies 71 connected freely articulating with one or a plurality of supporting cages 72 similar to those of axial bearings is placed between the half-rings 63 and the half-shaft 6B. These blocks are bilaterally restrained, to prevent their detaching by means of suitable holding rings (for claritys sake not shown in the drawing) and are arranged slightly inclined with respect to the radial position so as to permit, as stated above, the free rotation of the central shaft 6A6B.

When the half-shaft 6B has to be blocked in the course of the programmed cycle, a pressurized fluid is forced into the duct 68 by suitable means as described above. Such an introduction of compressed air causes the movement of the bell-shaped pistons 66 by overcoming the effect of the springs 70 and, therefore, the movement toward each other of the half-rings 63 by overcoming in this case the effect of the spring 69, having the result of instantaneously locking the half-shaft 6B and thereby the half-shaft 6A, insofar as the said half-rings 63 compel the blocks 71 to straighten out radially, i.e., to move in their configuration of maximum extension.

For the purpose of avoiding the subjecting of the half-shaft 68 to excessive torsional stresses, the present invention provides that, simultaneously with the input of pressurized fluid into the duct 68 of the corresponding duct 51 or 52 in the output phase of the fluid from the sliding cylinders 3 of the pistons 2 is choked by suitable means, causing a reduction in the working crosssection of these ducts. In this way, the pistons 2 are being braked during their inactive stroke, thereby restraining the half-shaft 6A and consequently also the half-shaft 6B. It is of course understood that this choking effect on the ducts 51 or 52 must be controlled sufficiently ahead of the input of the fluid into the cylinders 67.

What is claimed is:

l. A device for feeding material into a workperforming machine, said device comprising a casing having a central part and two lateral parts, a central shaft portion extending through one of the lateral parts and into the central part, another central shaft portion extending from the central part and through the other lateral part, the central part having a linkage interconnecting the central shaft portions, radial cylinders, piston reciprocating in said cylinders, connecting rods connecting said pistons with said linkage, one lateral part having a rotary body connected with the firstmentioned central shaft portion and having hollow sectors, input and output pipes communicating with the outside and ducts connected with said pipes and said sectors and communicating with said radial cylinders, whereby said one lateral part serves for the distribution of pressurized fluid for the drive of the central shaft portions, the other lateral part comprising blocks carried by said other central shaft portion and two half rings engaging said blocks and surrounding said other central shaft portion, whereby said other lateral part serves to lock the central shaft portions in the performance sequence of the machine, wherein the other lateral part has two bell-shaped pistons with cavities, said half-rings having two pairs of protuberances located diametrically opposite each other and extending into said cavities, the outer surfaces of said protuberances and the inner surfaces of said cavities being in sloped planes, whereby said pistons are adapted to press said protuberances against each other to lock the secondmentioned shaft portion.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1, comprising springs engaging said bell-shaped pistons and said protuberances.

3. A device in accordance with claim 2, comprising supporting cages interconnecting said blocks and surrounding said other central shaft portion, said blocks extending at an inclination to the radii of said other central portion.

4. A device in accordance with claim 1, comprising means choking the output pipe prior to the inflow of compressed fluid into the cylinders. 

1. A device for feeding material into a work-performing machine, said device comprising a casing having a central part and two lateral parts, a central shaft portion extending through one of the lateral parts and into the central part, another central shaft portion extending from the central part and through the other lateral part, the central part having a linkage interconnecting the central shaft portions, radial cylinders, piston reciprocating in said cylinders, connecting rods connecting said pistons with said linkage, one lateral part having a rotary body connected with the first-mentioned central shaft portion and having hollow sectors, input and output pipes communicating with the outside and ducts connected with said pipes and said sectors and communicating with said radial cylinders, whereby said one lateral part serves for the distribution of pressurized fluid for the drive of the central shaft portions, the other lateral part comprising blocks carried by said other central shaft portion and two half rings engaging said blocks and surrounding said other central shaft portion, whereby said other lateral part serves to lock the central shaft portions in the performance sequence of the machine, wherein the other lateral part has two bell-shaped pistons with cavities, said half-rings having two pairs of protuberances located diametrically opposite each other and extending into said cavities, the outer surfaces of said protuberances and the inner surfaces of said cavities being in sloped planes, whereby said pistons are adapted to press said protuberances against each other to lock the secondmentioned shaft portion.
 2. A device in accordance with claim 1, comprising springs engaging said bell-shaped pistons and said protuberances.
 3. A device in accordance with claim 2, comprising supporting cages interconnecting said blocks and surrounding said other central shaft portion, said blocks extending at an inclination to the radii of said other central portion.
 4. A device in accordance with claim 1, comprising means choking the output pipe prior to the inflow of compressed fluid into the cylinders. 